Buttery Peach Cobbler

PEACH COBBLER! This is my mom's recipe. I have no idea where she got it from but ever since I can remember...this is the one she uses for peach cobbler. She has other recipes for cobblers. Her blackberry cobbler is dynamite too (see my gluten free version) but this one is different. It is a little sweeter, moister and has a rich, buttery flavor. Completely different style than the others. It has more of a chewy, cakey texture.

If I am making blackberry cobbler...I use her blackberry cobbler recipe. If I want peach cobbler....this is my go-to recipe. It is super easy and just melts in your mouth. It is satisfying by itself but you can garnish it with whipped cream or ice cream to elevate it to the next delicious level! I personally love it slightly warm. However, I am not real picky and have no problem eating it cold (for breakfast!). This was something my mom made frequently in the winter at our house growing up. We had peach trees and my parents harvested them and canned them. This was a great way to enjoy our summer fruit during the cold winters. You can certainly used store bought canned peaches which is what I used today. I don't have a peach tree so I had to revert to using canned fruit from the grocery store. It all works. I am pretty sure you can use other fruit in this recipe but I ALWAYS make it with peaches.

I love using real butter in this recipe because it adds a great rich, butter flavor. However, if you have a dairy allergy or don't have butter on hand....you can use Crisco, margarine or dairy free margarine substitute (just make sure it contains at least 65% fat or it will be too watery causing your cobbler to be soggy. No one wants soggy cobbler!). I have also substituted vegetable oil. Coconut oil is an option but you will get a faint taste of coconut and that will change the flavor of the cobbler. Olive oil is an option if it isn't too strong in flavor. Strong flavored olive oil can have a heavy, earthy flavor which doesn't always taste great in baked goods. Taste it first!  (I love chocolate infused olive oil in my brownies but I find it heavy for most cakes). Since we are talking about substituting items: you can also substitute a dairy free version of the milk. You can use almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk......or mayonnaise mixed with water. Yes, I know that sounds weird but it honestly works in baked items! It gives it a tangy buttermilk flavor but it seriously is a life savor in baked goods if you need it dairy free or if you are out of milk! I guess a lot of people don't realize that mayonnaise is actually dairy free. (Of course read your labels to be sure the brand you are using is labeled gluten free and doesn't contain dairy. I use Best Foods/Helman's brand).


This recipe can easily be halved for a smaller (8x8 or 8" round pan) or doubled for larger crowds. It is pretty flexible. I also have improvised when I didn't have quite enough flour so I substituted a gluten free yellow cake mix in place of the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. It worked fine too. I usually make my own homemade gluten free flour mix (because I do a lot of baking and prefer it) but you can use a store bought gluten free flour mix. I prefer one without sorghum flour since I don't care for the taste in my baked goods. I think it leaves a pea pod earthy taste that I don't like. If you don't mind the earthy taste in your baked goods....go ahead and use it. Of course if you don't have a gluten allergy....by all means use regular flour! This is an OLD recipe that originally used regular flour and I converted it to gluten free so I could continue to enjoy it. All of my recipes on this blog can be made regular or gluten free. 

Peach Cobbler Recipe:

• 1 cup butter (I prefer using real unsalted butter but you can substitute margarine, dairy free margarine, Crisco or vegetable oil. Just make sure your margarine contains at least 65% fat or it will be too watery). I also like to use a vanilla bean (even if you have scraped out the seeds and only have the pod) and put in a bottle of canola or vegetable oil. It gives baked goods a nice flavor especially if you are making them dairy free. Let's face it...nothing tastes as good as real butter but adding a vanilla bean pod to the oil makes it so much better! 
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (you can use less sugar if you prefer it less sweet or if your peaches are canned in syrup because this will add to the sweetness of your cobbler).
• 2 cups gluten free flour (if your mix does not contain guar gum or xanthan gum then you will need to add 1/2 teaspoon). If you don't have a gluten allergy then you can use regular flour and leave out the xanthan gum. 
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• two cans or jars (about 15 oz each) sliced peaches. Save juice
• 3/4 cup milk (you can substitute a non-dairy milk like almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk OR 1/4 cup mayonnaise mixed well with water. I know....it sounds weird but it works in baking if you need to substitute milk. It gives it a tangy buttermilk flavor but it works. This is my secret if I don't have milk or if I need to make it dairy free! I don't recommend it on cereal or coffee though!)

Melt the butter or margarine or Crisco into a liquid form & pour it into the bottom of the 9x13 pan. If you are using oil then just pour it without warming it. (REMEMBER if you only want a small 8x8 pan then you will need to half the recipe!). Mix the flour, milk, sugar, salt and baking powder. Pour onto the melted butter. DO NOT STIR! The batter sink and the butter will ooze between it. Don't worry about it being perfectly uniform. It is a cobbler! It should look rustic! Place the peaches over top of the batter. I spoon half of the peach juice with the peaches. DO NOT STIR! It will bake together and the batter will absorb the peach juice and the butter or oil. Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until top is lightly golden brown and cake portion springs back when lightly touched.

This is cobbler prior to baking. Don't stir the layers!

Baking in the oven

Just removed from the oven. Golden brown on top. Moist and peaches are soft!

Ready to cut and eat!

I wish you could smell it! Mouth watering!

Up close view! See how tender the cobbler cake portion is?

On a plate & ready to eat! :)

Where is the fork? This is still warm!

My Homemade Gluten Free Flour Blend Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 cup white rice flour (I used sweet rice flour for this batch)
• 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour (made from sticky rice, gluten free)
• 1 cup potato starch (not flour)
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk or dairy free milk powder, make sure it is very fine in texture
• 1 cup corn starch or tapioca starch (I used tapioca starch for this batch)
• 3 tbs. xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients together well. You can put it in the blender for an extra smooth texture if desired. I store mine in a glass container and use it in place of regular flour in all my recipes. This particular blend I really like for baked sweet goods and breads. (Note: if using my homemade gluten free flour blend you will not need to add additional xanthan gum to your recipe since this batch already contains it!)

This is one recipe that the flavors intensity after it cools down. I just can't ever seem to wait until it cools down! I burn my tongue EVERY TIME! The peach flavor really comes out after a few hours or overnight. This is a great recipe to make the night before and let it cool. You can always re-heat it in the microwave if you like to serve it slightly warm.

I hope you enjoyed a recipe blast from the past! This is one of my childhood favorites. When I think of a cold winter during a snow storm in SE Ohio....I think of my mom's peach cobbler. (Another favorite is Hillbilly sweet dumplings made with peaches but I just haven't perfected it gluten free....yet!) Nothing was better than warming up with this delicious treat....except a snow day with no school! Those were the days! 

Enjoy!

Tanja

Gluten Free Casually